


We like to complicate things, when it is really quite simple.

by lineadecuatro (Maiucha)



Category: Almost Human
Genre: Asexual Character, Asexuality, Gen, implied asexuality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-03-15 20:10:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3460385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maiucha/pseuds/lineadecuatro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Rudy and Richard made each other feel less alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We like to complicate things, when it is really quite simple.

**Author's Note:**

> Response to the exchange during the second Almost Human Tumblr Fan Con, my prompter was [Kris (myurlismisleadingbutsoami)](http://myurlismisleadingbutsoami.tumblr.com). 
> 
> The prompt was: "Asexual Rudy and/or Richard (literally anything to do with this!)"
> 
> And it was such an amazing idea, I hope i did it a bit of justice.
> 
> Happy reading!

****

> _1\. I want to understand your mind. (Skin)_

 

Richard laughs softly into his coffee and the sound makes Rudy look up from his work table.

"What's so funny?" Rudy asks around a mouthful of electronic pen.

"Something Stahl said today," Richard explains while lowering his mug, "about how the fewer women have to sleep with me, the better the world is."

Rudy snorts at that, goes back to taking notes on his tablet about the MX he's working on, but doesn't hide the amusement he feels, "I wonder what you said first to get that."

"Hey!"

Rudy ignores the protest, "and it's also not working, clearly, try harder, please; go into celibacy or something, there's a group that supports those life choices and validate the—"

"Okay, what's up with you?" Richard puts his mug down, stands up from his chair and gives Rudy a long look, hoping the feeling of eyes on his skin makes him look up. It doesn't work. Neither does he get an answer. "Normally you have fun talking about people's assumptions of everyone's sexuality even in 2048; I've heard that speech enough times that I can probably parrot it back to you."

"Good for you."

"And you're talking in short sentences, honestly, Lom, what is wrong?"

"We had to put a companion bot down today," Rudy finally says without looking up, he's the only person Richard knows that calls sexbots companion-bots. "It was the one that helped with the case, Dorian was there too, wanted to keep her, _it_ , company."

Richard opens his mouth, unsure of what to say, wondering if there are any comforting words in his repertory of detective work and dealing with families for this situation; he doesn't get the chance to try because Rudy isn't done talking.

"And I know your personal opinion regarding bots, so I don't need to hear it," Rudy still doesn't look up and trades his pen for a small screwdriver. "Their humanity may be debatable for a lot of people, but that doesn't mean we should take turning them off so lightly. If we make them so human like, we've basically given them life. Did no one read 'The Little Prince' while growing up? It should be obligatory reading for the scientific community these days; we are responsible for what we domesticate and…" Rudy does look up now and Richard is fighting a smile and apparently doing it badly, "why are you smiling now?"

"Nothing, nothing, you're absolutely right," that earns him a lifted eyebrow and Richard knows he should do damage control before Rudy thinks he's mocking him when truly his amusement is more related to how easily Rudy goes from silent to extravagantly passionate. "What was her name?"

Rudy blinks, "what?"

"The sex—companion-bot," Richard is making an effort, "what was her name?"

"Oh, Vanesa."

"Did she remindyou of, uh, yours?"

"Clearly," is almost imperceptible but Rudy relaxes when he replies, and Richard goes back to his chair. The silence between them is now more natural.

 

> _2\. I want you to rescue me (The Bends)._

 

The club is loud, of course it is. Dorian and Kennex are giving each other half looks that may be a conversation and Rudy is too busy trying to understand it to feel left out; it's probably about him and he decides he has the right to now. But apparently neither of his doctorates works when it comes tounderstanding the relationship of a human and DRN. Or maybe itis just this two, as Richard has pointed out a few times.

_Ugh_ , even thinkingthat Richard is right about something is annoying and it makes him grimace. Which brings Dorian's eyes to him, curious, bright, not entirely human eyes that focus on him and are probably reading his vitals to try to determinate how he feels.

"So, what is good in here?" Rudy asks to snap Dorian out of his analysis and to bring Kennex's attention to their table. None of them answer immediately so he presses on, "to drink, or to eat maybe? Do you eat here?"

Kennex growls something that vaguely sounds like 'no' and Dorian explains more calmly that even if John does have awful eating habits, those aren't that low yet.

Rudy stays quiet again after that, even when the beers appear and Dorian gives their bottles curious glances.

"We could probably upgrade your tasting system if you wanted to try these things," Rudy decides to say, and Kennex gets a pained expression on his face, but Dorian looks curious. "We'll have to see what to do to imitate a disposal system, if you want to have more than just a zip or a bite, but if you give me enough time, I'm sure I could work something out. If you're interested, I think it would really amplify your knowledge and understanding of our world."

"Can we not talk about work?" Kennex says before drinking half of his beer in one go.

"Yes of course," Rudy says and catches an apologetic smile from Dorian, who gives Kennex a glare as soon as he thinks Rudy isn't watching them. And they're back to using their eyes and looks to talk. Rudy starts feeling like he's in the middle of a weird date.

He considers texting Richard to get him out of there, wonders if they are friendly enough to do rescue calls. Maybe they should have established ground rules.

As soon as he notices a lady approaching Kennex and Dorian's blue lights shining with probably a complex calculation ofthe chances said lady and Kennex have of ending together in a bed; Rudy decides "fuck nonexistent ground rules" and texts Richard for help.

The help comes in the form of a phone call that scares the lady off, calms Dorian and annoys Kennex. Great combo, Rudy thinks as he picks up.

"What can you possible need help with?" Richard says on the other side, he sounds irritated.

Rudy decides to reply with what he needs the people around him to hear and says: "yes, I'm still in the area."

"What area? Did you hit your head on the pavement Lom?"

"No, no," he says, in case Richard actually needs reassurance of his health, "I understand."

"I'm finishing paperwork and already have enough to deal with without adding a mad scientist that makes no sense to it."

Rudy is tempted to insult Richard in return; instead he says "I'll be over the precinct as soon as I can, yeah."

There's silence on the other side and Rudy considers that maybe Richard just let go of the phone, but there's a breathy sigh before a soft "bring more coffee."

Rudy has to bite down his bottom lip not to smile, "of course."

"Everything okay?" Dorian looks actually concerned.

"Yes, I'm just needed back at the station, some paperwork maybe. Or they just need to double check what I told them. Or no one is there to check on the broken MXs, who knows, they never really tell me. They just call and hope that I'm there. Which, I normally am."

Dorian blinks at him, it's such a human gesture that again Rudy has to fight backa smile. Kennex's voice distracts him: "do you need a ride?"

That is probably the nicest thing Kennex has said to him in the whole night and to that Rudy does allow the smile.

"No, I'm fine! Stay, have fun, drink, whatever it is thatyou do," he gets up after saying that and leaves the bar.

On his way to the station he picks up coffee and donuts.       

  

> _3\. I want to hear you (Blood Brothers)._

 

"You never talk about her," Rudy says out of the blue and the silence Richard was very much appreciating is gone. "Of course, it's your right, it's your privacy and your life, but we've talked about other things and people and you never brought her up," Rudy is not looking at Richard, his eyes are moving around the whole lab. "Which **is** surely for a reason, because who wants to talk about a failed marriage? But I wanted to say that you can talk to me about her, if you ever want to, clearly, I'm not going to force you, well, I _can't_ force you, that's obvious, but, yes, you know."

"No, I don't talk about her," he decides to answer, because Rudy is right, they have talked about other things, so why not this too. **?** "It's a constant reminder that even if we were very good at our jobs, we were awful at our personal life; so I don't like talking about it."

"Makes sense, yes, you always make sense," Rudy nods, "did she…?"

"At the risk of sounding as a fifteen years old kid, she was my best friend and my life partner; there was nothing she didn't know. And there was nothing she wasn't comfortable with."

"So, you're just really bad at relationships?"

Richard throws a digital tablet at his head, but he's laughing.

 

> _4\. I want to know the secrets of your secrets (Disrupt)._

 

Richard is laughing over the electronic folder, he has been laughing for the past two minutes and Rudy is half concerned about him half hoping he chokes on his own saliva.

"I don't know what's so funny about it."

"It's not, it's not," Richard tells him, slightly calmer but still grinning, "It's just… today has been a great day, Stahl with the purple wig, Kennex in eyeliner, and now this."

And he's laughing again.

"You know, no one found it funny."

"That's because I doubt anyone actually knows that an aphid's success is very related to their asexual reproductive capabilities."

"That's not a completely true fact; it only works with some species."

"Of course. And it isn't at all one of the reasons you decided on that name back then."

"I liked you better when you didn't talk to me."

That cracks Richard up again.

 

> _5\. I want to celebrate you (Straw man)._

 

"Is that a cupcake?" Richard asks with weary eyes and Rudy nods at him, proud. "Did you pick up baking in your free time?"

"No."

"Did you make an MX bake it?"

"No, of course not, it's government property, I wouldn't use it to—" Richard's lifted eyebrow silences Rudy.

"So, it's just a regular cupcake and you just left it here for me."

"That's right."

"What for?"

"You deserve it, after today," Rudy shrugs, and he's back to his table and his tools while he keeps talking, "everyone is out there congratulating Dorian and Kennex, and of course, they did alright, but so did you, and—"

"And you got me a cupcake."

"Have I ever told you how annoying it is to be interrupted? Because it is," Rudy glares at Richard before putting his work goggles on. "Anyway, it's electronically made, but I believe it tastes just as good."

"It does," Richard agrees, sitting down in what is now his usual place. "And I only interrupt you to save you from your own mouth."

Rudy doesn't answer him, huffs pretending to be annoyed but Richard can see the hint of his smile. 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my friend George for the beta. 
> 
> And the idea behind part 3 belongs to [Judas](http://judasthepirate.tumblr.com), she mentioned something about it when we talked about Richard's marriage ages ago.


End file.
